By Lucy Corkhill
23rd September 2013
‘It is a way to develop a deeper connection with our true selves and also to cultivate deeper, more honest interactions with others. The creator of this system – Professor Rolando Toro Araneda of Santiago – described it as “a reeducation in love” and that pretty much sums it up! In a world where everything has a price but little value, where gratification must be instant and gratitude is seemingly lost and where intimacy and tenderness are so tied up with a distorted sense of sexuality, Biodanza leads us gently to a place where the important, if not essential, qualities of life are honoured and celebrated in a space of mutual respect and nurture.’
What happens during a class?
‘Classes nearly always begin with dances of arrival and integration, allowing time to warm the body up and to begin to drop the busyness of the head and come into a deeper awareness of the body, tuning in to the physical sensations of life. The teacher explains each dance to the group, often giving a demonstration of their interpretation of the intention. The group is then invited to step in and dance their dance… This could be the group dancing together but as individuals, in pairs or small groups or all together as a group. Only in certain extensions of Biodanza would individuals be asked to dance alone. As the class progresses, the dances become less energetic and outwardly expressive, encouraging deceleration, dropping more into feeling the experience of life rather than the usual head driven analysis of everything. It is in this decelerated space that we may begin to explore more intimate connections with ourselves and with the others in the group. As we slow down, these interactions take on more intensity and a deeper sense of awareness develops. The class invariably ends with one or two dances of activation, bringing us back to our (sadly!) normal state of consciousness.’
What can a participant expect to experience?
‘Biodanza is very much a cumulative process… The more you do, the deeper you go. That being said, it is also true that you will find benefit even if you attend just one class. From my personal experience I have found a heightened sense of self-esteem, improved confidence and a deeper feeling of empathy and compassion for well, everything! In a vivencia you will be offered opportunities to unleash your creative potential, to give and receive love and affection without agenda and to experience pleasure from all your senses. You will find ways of communicating that go so far beyond the spoken word and will develop relationships that are so deeply profound, so loving and honest you will be left breathless… Really! Admittedly, I am a little biased but this stuff is pure magic!’
I’m shy and I can’t dance! Will I enjoy a class?
‘Yes!!! Personally, I strongly believe that Biodanza is accessible to all. It’s not about ‘learning’ to dance and certainly not about performance. Each participant is encouraged to dance their dance to the level that feels right for them in the moment, even if that means stepping back and sitting out of certain dances. I often say that Biodanza means ‘the dance of life’ and who else’s life can you dance but your own? This is the point… To come back to our unique individual truth and dance from that space.’
What lead you to teach Biodanza?
‘To be honest, when I first heard about Biodanza I thought it sounded a bit soft. I had recently discovered Bioenergetics and had been blown away by the power of that system but whilst at a festival in 2006, circumstance led me to experience an unusual but very powerful vivencia which was working with the themes of grief and transformation. My eldest brother had died six years previously and I thought I had ‘dealt’ with the pain of that loss. What I very soon discovered was that not only had I only served to push the grief way way down but that I had firmly locked and bolted a door against it. In the held space of that vivencia I was not only invited to reopen that door but actually felt as though I smashed it to splinters. This of course opened the floodgates for a torrent of emotional release and I felt that grief so keenly it was almost unbearable, but this was where the ‘magic’ happened. The vivencia flowed onwards and through the progressive dances I was able to move through that intense pain and find the treasure within, transforming the darkness into light, the sadness into an overwhelming sense of joy. Immediately after the vivencia, I spoke to the teacher, Niraj, and told him that if ever he decided to train people to teach Biodanza, I would be there like a shot. I found out recently that this comment was one of the catalysts that persuaded him to follow his plan to start the Dorset School of Biodanza where I later trained for three years.’
Where can I find out more?
You can visit the ABTUK website (Association of Biodanza Teachers UK) and go to the find a class page
If you’re so inspired, the next cycle of the teacher training at the Dorset School begins at the end of September 2013. You can find out more information here.
